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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to automated customer support and service in a distributed computing environment and more particularly to a method of reducing a number of xe2x80x9clivexe2x80x9d support calls by providing intelligent, guided self-help in such an environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Technical support services and programs are designed to diagnose and solve hardware or software problems that users and/or customers encounter as they use computers. As businesses continue to move on-line, distributed computing environments become more complex and, thus, more difficult to troubleshoot. Indeed, entire businesses now desire to connect their critical business systems directly to employees, customers, vendors and other important constituencies. To this end, many internal or external business network applications are now being connected to the Internet""s World Wide Web to make the information accessible from anywhere using conventional browser software.
Traditional technical support centers place their emphasis on internal tracking and productivity tools, such as problem tracking systems. Such xe2x80x9cback endxe2x80x9d systems exist internally to the support organization and are usually transparent to the customer. Although back-end systems aid internal efficiency, they do little for the actual problem resolution process itself. Problem resolution is typically left to telephony-based technologies such as agent-based automatic call distribution (ACD) support centers and intelligent voice response (IVR) devices.
Such techniques attempt to diagnose and address problems on a remote node without actually having the technician travel to that node. The most common method of technical support is still a telephone conversation with tech support personnel. Other known techniques involve a network xe2x80x9cloginxe2x80x9d to the remote node so that the conditions may be evaluated from the technical support center""s viewpoint. The network connection may be used to run a diagnostic program on the remote node, or xe2x80x9cself-helpxe2x80x9d fix-it programs may be downloaded to the remote note and executed there.
With the explosive growth of the Internet, yet another approach has become quite popular. This approach involves having the user access a Web server with support content in the form of support notes or FAQs. The user attempts to use this information to xe2x80x9cself servicexe2x80x9d his or her own problem. On its face, this strategy appears sensible as, theoretically, an effective self-service strategy would let users solve problems for themselves (e.g., through a Web browser), with the result of lower call volumes and better service. Unfortunately, however, using the Web as a publishing medium has not resulted in the desired benefits. Indeed, call avoidance has often evolved into xe2x80x9ccustomer avoidancexe2x80x9d. In particular, most normal users do not want to be xe2x80x9cdetectivesxe2x80x9d who have to make a set of guesses about the precise search strings that will get them to the right support solutions. Further, it is quite frustrating for users who cannot solve their problems (by self-service) to then be forced to go through the tedious exercise of later repeating to a support engineer information concerning their self-service attempts. The result is that end users often feel like their vendor is trying to push them away, with the inevitable result that this unintended result may actually occur.
Indeed, studies have shown that, even when a user knows an answer exists to his or her problem, he or she will be able to find the answer only 40% of the time. Further, many xe2x80x9canswersxe2x80x9d have very complex diagnoses and resolutions that are well beyond the capabilities of most computer users.
The present invention addresses this problem.
It is a primary object of this invention to provide dynamic, guided self-help in a technical support chain automation system. xe2x80x9cGuidedxe2x80x9d support means the system guides the user to find an answer to his or her technical support question or problem. The approach is xe2x80x9cdynamicxe2x80x9d because the system preferably refines its suggestions as more data and information is gathered from either the user, the user""s system, or from a content database.
It is another primary object of this invention to provide intelligent self-help wherein the system, as opposed to the user, develops the appropriate search strategies to enable the user to be guided to an appropriate subset of relevant support notes. Preferably, these strategies are developed automatically during a self-help session by having the system capture the live context of the user""s computer.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an active self-help mechanism by which a user can automate time-consuming self-diagnosis and self-repair tasks. For example, with the present invention, the automated technical support system can automatically check a user""s computer to determine whether a specific hardware or software conflict exists and then automatically resolve that conflict, e.g., from a support note.
Yet another object of this invention is to simplify the support process in the situation where the self-help has not succeeded satisfactorily and escalation to a support center is necessary. In this situation, the invention provides a mechanism for transferring (from the user""s system to the support center server) information about all user attempts to solve the problem. Thus, when the support problem escalates, the past history of the user""s attempts to rectify the problem is immediately visible to the support engineer to provide a valuable head-start in diagnosis and repair, without forcing the user to repeat any steps.
These and other objects of this invention are provided in a method, system and computer program product for automated technical support in a computer network having a client machine and at least one technical support server. When the user desires technical support, a technical support interface is launched. The user is then prompted to select a general problem area. In response to a user query, the system automatically serves a self-help home page (or template) to the user""s interface. Preferably, the interface has a Web browser navigation metaphor to provide the user with a comfortable and intuitive interaction with the self-help system.
According to the invention, the self-help home page includes a search field that is populated automatically with a system-supplied, self-help search string. This function obviates the user having to make a set of guesses about the precise search string or strings that will direct the user to the right support solution(s). The search string is a value that, when fed into the technical support server""s search engine, should produce relevant hits. In the preferred embodiment, the search string is generated dynamically through the use of a diagnostic map that executes on the client machine when the self-help session is initiated. The diagnostic map examines the client system (including the existing applications, registry information and the like) and communicates with the technical support server to derive the search string as a background task. Diagnostic maps are programmable, reusable objects that allow technical support engineers (SEs) and others to write custom tools for diagnosing problems.
If the user elects to execute a search (or, alternatively, a diagnostic map initiates a search automatically), a search results template is returned. If the search returns relevant results, the results template includes a link to a support note. Upon selection of the link, the user is navigated to an xe2x80x9cactivatedxe2x80x9d page. The activated page provides the user an option to automatically diagnose the problem (if necessary) and/or the option to fix the problem (if it has been adequately diagnosed and a fix is available). After the user selects the appropriate option, the system returns an active self service results page reporting on the result of the user""s action.
Thus, according to an aspect of the present invention, guided self-help is facilitated through use of so-called xe2x80x9cactive contentxe2x80x9d pages. Active content is Web-based content (i.e., content viewable by a Web browser) that has one or more diagnostic maps initiated when certain actions are taken (e.g., selecting a link, clicking a button, or the like). In an illustrative embodiment, a given diagnostic map is associated with a page via a URL, although any convenient mechanism may be used to associate a page and a map When that URL results from selecting a link or button on the Web page, a Web server supporting the support chain automation system has extensions that recognize it as a map (rather than, for example, a reference to another Web page). The active content functionality of the invention enables the user to determine if a particular technical problem described by an external page applies to the user""s actual system. This provides a robust self-service capability.
At customizable points during the self-help navigation, the user is given the option to escalate to live-help (e.g. an SE located at the technical support server). When the user selects this option, information about the user""s self service efforts is provided to the technical support server automatically so that the user does not need to repeat or otherwise describe to the SE those actions that have already been considered or tried.
When the guided support is complete, whether successful in the first instance or through escalation to live-help, the information about the incident is passed on to the technical support server for reporting and analysis purposes.
During a live help session, the support engineer may access and review the same self-help pages reviewed by the user during the self-help session. The support engineer may also repeat, against the user""s machine, all or part of the self-help session to facilitate diagnosis and repair of the technical problem. In this manner, the SE can use the self-help functionality to find a diagnostic map, run a diagnostic map, or point a user to a resource (e.g., a URL) that, upon activation, executes a diagnostic map. Thus, according to this aspect of the invention, the same self-help content (or portions thereof) used to guide the user during the guided self-help session are used at the support center to guide the support technician to a solution from within the context of the technician""s desktop.
Thus, according to the present invention, self service is automatic, context-based, intelligent and captures diagnostic information for further use by the technical support center if necessary. The invention also automates self-diagnosis and self-repair.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects and features of the present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention as will be described. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following Detailed Description.